1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a front panel of a water purifier.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
A conventional cold and hot water purifier is generally designed such that the fresh water supplied from a fawcet is purified after separated from foreign objects and the like via special filtering means.
The cold and hot water purifier is divided into a natural filtration type, a direct filtration type, an ion exchange resin type and a reverse osmosis type according to purifying methods.
The cold and hot water purifier employing a reverse osmosis type is to purify water by removing heavy metals, bacteria and carcinogenic substances via an artificial osmotic membrane under a predetermined pressure. Also, the water purifier is used to purify the water used for washing and cleaning special elements in fields such as ultramodern science or precision science. The water purifier device is used to purify water used for drinking and cooking and the like in view of the protection of environment.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the reverse osmotic type cold and hot water purifier includes a main body 10 having a front panel 11, a back panel 12, a side panel 13, an upper panel 14 and a lower panel 15.
Water retaining means 16 is located at a middle portion of the front panel 11 for retaining water dropped from a cold and hot water extracting spigot or valves 130,131 and the water retained at the water retaining means 16 is drained manually or by a drain hose (not shown) connected to a predetermined portion of the water retaining means 16.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, predetermined spaces E and F are formed at upper and lower sides of the main body 10 by first and second partitions 20,21.
A third partition 22 is vertically located between the first and second partition 20,21 so as to provide a special space G to a backside of the main body 10.
A fourth partition 23 is horizontally located at a predetermined height on a front side of the third partition 22 so as to provide predetermined spaces H,I between the first and second partition 20,21.
In the space E, a water installing chamber 30 is disposed on an upper surface of the first partition 20. The water storing chamber 30 is able to store purified water of desired guantity. Also, a control box 40 for selectively controlling an operation of the water purifier is fixed at one side of the front panel 11.
In the space F, a compressor 50 for compressing refrigerant to a high temperature and a high pressure state, is mounted on an upper surface of the lower panel 15. A condenser 60 is also mounted at the other side of the upper surface of the lower panel 15. The condenser 60 is able to perform a condensing action on a pressurized refrigerant received from the compressor 50. Cooling means 70 (for example, fan, blower, etc.) for cooling the compressor 50 and condenser 60, is located at a middle section of the upper surface of the lower panel 15.
In the space G, a plurality of filtering means 90 are supported by first and second filter fixing brackets 80,81. Also, a pressurizing pump 100 is disposed at an upper side of the second partition 21.
As shown in FIG. 4, the plurality of filtering means 90 comprise a sedimenting filter 91 fixed through the medicm of a first filter fixing bracket 80, for removing floating matters (rust materials remaining at water passage) when unpurified water passes through the passage; a pre-processing filter 92 for removing foreign materials (for example, chlorine components, etc.) contained in the fresh water supplied from the sedimenting filter 91; a first and a second membrane filters 93,94 for removing various heavy metals or carcinogenic substances contained in the fresh water via a the pressurized pump 100 from the pre-processed filter 92; post-processing filter 95 for removing noxiousness gaseous components or a bad smell of the water via the first and the second membrane filters 93,94; and, a sterilizing filter 96 fixed by a second filter fixing bracket 81, for sterilizing noxious germs contained in the water after passing the post-processing filter 95.
Hoses 97 for guiding flow of the water, are interconnected to the sedimenting filter 91, the pre-processing filter 92, the first and the second membrane filters 93,94, the post-processing filter 95 and the sterilizing filter 96, respectively. Also, a concentrated water pipe 98 is connected to a lower side of the first and the second membrane filters 93,94 so that concentrated (waste) water discharged from the first and the second membrane filters 93,94 is discharged to the outside.
In the space H, a warm water container 110 and a cold water container 120 are disposed on an upper surface of the forth partition 23. After heating or cooling the purified water provided via first and second purifying pipes 31,32 from a purified water container 30, the warm water container 110 and cold water container 120 are provided with hot water and cold water respectively.
As shown in FIG. 3, the first purified water pipe 31 is coupled to a bottom surface of the purified water container 30 and a bottom surface of the warm water container 110. A second purified water pipe 32 is mounted at the other side of the bottom surface of the purified water container 30 and the cold water container 120, respectively.
A heating member 111 is inherently inheemtly disposed at the warm water container 110. The heating member 111 serves to heat the water contained at the warm water container by using an external power (not shown).
A cooling coil 121 is spirally wound on a circumference of the cold water container 120. The cooling coil 121 contains a liquid refrigerant to cool the purified water contained in the cold water container 120.
Water exhausting pipes 112,122 are respectively coupled with the warm water container 110 and the cold water container 120. The water exhausting pipes 121,122 are connected to warm and cold water dispensing valves 130,131 projecting through the front panel 11.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the warm water and the cold water extracting valves 130,131 include an extracting body 133 having a valve for dispensing the warm and cold water. Bodies 133 are engaged with the water exhausting pipe 112 of the warm water container 110 and the water exhausting pipe 122 of the cold water container 120, respectively.
In the space I, a main PCB (Printed Circuit Board)(140) having various control functions for controlling an operation of the purifier, is disposed on an upper surface of the second partition (21).
When a selecting button (not shown) mounted at the control box 40, is pushed by the user, the pressurizing pump 100 is operated. At this time, the water is purified via a plurality of filtering means 90 under a predetermined pressure according to the operation of the pressurizing pump 100.
When the water supplied from the faucet is passed through the deposition filter 91, the floating materials contained in the water are removed. After passing through the deposition filter 91, chlorine components in the water are also removed while passing through the pre-processed filter 92. The heavy metals and/or carcinogenic substances are removed by passing the water through the first and the second membrane filters 93,94.
When the water is passed through post-processing filter 95 after passing through the first and the second membrane filters 93,94, bad smell or noxious gas components contained in the water is removed and lost. Also, noxious bacteria contained in the water is removed by passing the water through the sterilizing filter 96. After the sterilizing filter 96, the water is stored in the purified water container 30.
A purified water contained in the purified water container 30 is provided to the warm and the cold water containers 110, 120 via the first and the second purifying water pipes 31,32, respectively. That is, the purified water which flows through the first purifying water pipe 31 is continuously provided to a bottom position of the warm water container 110 and the purified water which flows through the second purified pipe 32 is also continuously provided to a top position of the cold water container 120.
When the water is filled in the warm water and the cold water containers 110,120, an operation of the pressurizing pump 100 is stopped upon receipt of sensing signals from a water level protecting sensor (not shown). That is, the water level protecting sensor is adjusted and controlled by the level of the water to prevent the water in the warm water and the cold water containers 110,120 from overflowing.
When the heater member 111 disposed in the warm water container 110 for providing the warm water is operated, the water is heated to a predetermined temperature. When the compressor 50 is operated to supply the cold water, vaporous refrigerant gas in a high temperature and high pressure state is provided to condenser 60. Also, the refrigerant gas which flows in an inner part of the condenser 60 is condensed by an air blast according to an operation of the cooling means 70.
At this time, the condensed vaporous refrigerant gas having passed through the condenser 60 is turned into gaseous refrigerant having a higher temperature than room temperature which is an amibient temperature of the cold and warm water purification device. The pressure of the refrigerant gas is decreased in pressure in passing through a capillary tube (not shown). The refrigerant gas is expanded by the cooling coil 121 wound around a circumference of the cold water container 120 so that the water in the cold water container 120 is cooled.
If a user wants to dispense the warm water or the cold water contained in the warm water and the cold water containers 110,120, he or she pushes an extracting lever 136 with a container (for example, a cup). When the extracting levers 136 are pushed backward, channels of respective extracting valves 130,131 are opened. When the extracting valves 130,131 are opened, the warm and the cold water in the warm water and the cold water containers are dispensed, respectively.
In the conventional warm and cold water purifier, a cover plate 17 disposed underneath the water retaining means 16 of the front panel is closely connected to front edges of side panel 13 and is fastened by a plurality of engaging screws (not shown). Thus, it is time consuming to open and close the front panel 17, and there is a risk of the screws becoming worn.